S7 Tool Steel-Pros & Cons?

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JTR357

JTR357

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Now that business is picking up,I'm thinking of buying a custom chopper.I want it to look like the new Rambo knife,except with micarta handles or some two tone G10 & made of S7 for it's impact resistance properties.
1/4" thick with full exposed tang.Anything from a 7.5"-10" blade with a satin finish.

1.Does it rust easily?
2.Is it easy to sharpen?
3.How well will it hold an edge typically?(assuming a good HT)
4.Why aren't there any makers(that I can find)that specialize with it?
5.What's the typical RC of S7?
6.Is it insanely expensive?

Do you think I'd be better off with more popular tool steels like M2,3V,10V or A2?

Regarding what I've already read about S7,It seems like the best stuff since INFI.I'm on Cruciple's site a lot.

Anyone have any personal experience with it?


As always,your helpful feedback is appreciated.:)


Thanks,
John
 
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C'mon knife makers & steel junkies.I know you can help me on this one.:D:D
 
JTR357 said:

1.Does it rust easily?
2.Is it easy to sharpen?
3.How well will it hold an edge typically?(assuming a good HT)
4.Why aren't there any makers(that I can find)that specialize with it?
5.What's the typical RC of S7?
6.Is it insanely expensive?

Do you think I'd be better off with more popular tool steels like M2,3V,10V or A2?

Regarding what I've already read about S7,It seems like the best stuff since INFI.I'm on Cruciple's site a lot.

Anyone have any personal experience with it?


As always,your helpful feedback is appreciated.:)


Thanks,
John
Click to expand...
1. No easier than any other tool steel.
2. The grindability is high, though softer, tough steels can have issues with burring.
3. Edge holding can vary according to intended use. In impact it will be there is, assuming the geometry is sturdy enough to prevent rollover, since it is unlikely to chip due to extreme toughness. In slicing rope it will do poorly compared to high wear resistance grades. S7 doesn't have good wear resistance.
4. That's a good question, it is readily available and fairly cheap. Maybe the low wear resistance and the fact that it can't really be hardened to 60 Rc (for some reason 60 is the magic number). Also, it is not easily heat treated by forgers since it is air hardening, and those that perform stock removal often use stainless steels, or the popular tool steels.
5. 57 Rc is typical.
6. It's not expensive. You can often find it from the various flat ground steel companies for low prices.

Whether or not you would be better off with another steel depends on a lot of things: how much you're willing to spend, the type of knife you're trying to make, how you're going to heat treat it or if you're sending it out, the customers you're looking for, etc.
 
1 I'd say it's comparable to A2 when it comes to rust.
2 The s7 i have sharpens up nicely and takes a fine edge
3 edge holding will depend on edge use, it doesnt have the same wear resistance as steel with higher carbide content (like d2) but will resist edge damage on hard work better.
4 ScrapYard knives specializes in S7. Justin Gingrich of Ranger Knives also uses S7 as an alternative to 5160 by request.


Interesting thing though, they did a destruction test of a Scrapyard S7 knife and also a Ranger 5160 knife, and the S7 chipped a lot more than the 5160 when chopping concrete but endured much more lateral stress. I thought it would be the other way around.
 
Thanks for the info guys :) I think I'm gonna look into 3V or A2.
 
So from the information I've read & you've given me,I guess it's safe to say S7 would make a good sword.Correct?
 
I'd probably go with 3V...the stuff is amazing. S7's a great steel for the right purpose but it's not soo great in regards to edge holding. Like was said above, it takes a fine edge and is easy to sharpen while being freakishly tough but the edge holding doesn't compare to 3V which is still more than tough enough and shapens easily enough as well.

Personally, while I'm a huge Busse fan my other favorite steel is 5160. It's amazing when heat treatment is spot on and has better rust resistance than S7. I'd probably look into 5160 and 3V. I can't really speak for A2 in a larger knife as I've only had smaller sized Bark River's in A2. I hear it's great and I must say, edge holding was great on it while being extremely easy to sharpen!
 
Thanks pbubsy!I like 5160 too!I got a a Ranger RD6 made out of that stuff & it sure is tough!
All this time I was thinking S7 was the next best thing to INFI,but I was wrong.
I think I'm gonna go with the 3V,because it's less likely to rust(I think) over 5160.

What about 10V?Is that better than 3V for a chopper/slicer/camp knife?

Thanks,
John

BTW,I'm getting a BRK&T Rogue with a 7" A2 blade.I'll let you guys know how it fairs to the others.
 
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10V is as opposite of a steel from S7 as you could ever dream, JTR. It wouldn't be in my top 900 steel choices for a chopper, but for a thin bladed-slicer, it's amazing. Sodak has a knife in 10V make by Phil Wilson and the edge, even when micro-chipped, will cut through rope so smoothly that the fibers look polished where they were cut.

S7 is a shock-resistant steel. It's very tough, but wear-resistance isn't its millieu. The corrosion resistance on my S7 RD-9 impressed me, though. Put mine away wet for a week one time and it didn't rust. Other people have had the steel rust when put away dry. Puzzling stuff. One of my favorite steels.

CPM-3V sounds like a good compromise between the wear-resistance of CPM-10V and toughness of S7, but don't discount what's possible with 5160 or 1084 with a specific heat-treatment, either. There's plenty of fun stuff to be found involving the "simple" steels when they're not given an easy heat-treat.
 
Thanks for the info thombrogan:thumbup:

I'm pretty much a noob,when it comes to all these different steels.I'm just trying to learn as much as I can about them.

I think I'm gonna focus on the 3V or 5160 concerning a custom chopper.

Thanks again everyone:)


John
 
My pleasure. Don't worry about being a newb; that will never end. With steels; especially comparing one to another; I end up wrong all of the time. Take choppers using D2 (please!). I'd think that's a terrible idea and yet Samo has used a D2 Kershaw Outcast as a chopper and all-around outdoors knife while doing volunteer work in Malaysia. Maybe a CPM-10V chopper is just the ticket (just no one has found the knifemaker masochistic enough to make one), but I'm too wrapped up in my prejudices to think it'll be worth the effort.

Good luck!
 
thombrogan said:
My pleasure. Don't worry about being a newb; that will never end. With steels; especially comparing one to another; I end up wrong all of the time. Take choppers using D2 (please!). I'd think that's a terrible idea and yet Samo has used a D2 Kershaw Outcast as a chopper and all-around outdoors knife while doing volunteer work in Malaysia. Maybe a CPM-10V chopper is just the ticket (just no one has found the knifemaker masochistic enough to make one), but I'm too wrapped up in my prejudices to think it'll be worth the effort.

Good luck!
Click to expand...


Thanks Thom,Butch from (BF name)"butcher_block",has been known to use CPM10V ;)
 
I make lots of stuff in S7. It makes a tough blade. I have done 10" choppers In it,, performs well in polished full convex grind,, not the edge retention of A2 and D2. Or 3v. But the cost of the 2 steels in .300 thick would put them into 2 different Ballgames,,
 
Horton_Knives said:
I make lots of stuff in S7. It makes a tough blade. I have done 10" choppers In it,, performs well in polished full convex grind,, not the edge retention of A2 and D2. Or 3v. But the cost of the 2 steels in .300 thick would put them into 2 different Ballgames,,
Click to expand...

How hard(RC) can it be heat treated?Can it be differentially HT'ed well?





:eek:Wow..old thread :D
 
Someone showed me the thread, it usually hits about 56. But I don't take my A2 but to 58 or 58.5. It makes a great alternative to some other expensive steels,, And I have made a knife in 10v. You could not pay me to do it again,, lol,, but it won't get dull,, thank goodness,,
 
ive enjoyed this thread alot im adding it to favorites its amazing what you can learn just by lurking its lucky for us younger folks (im 22) to have a place were we can learn and expand our knowledge about something we are so passionate about
 
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